Christian Weedbrook, founder and CEO of Toronto-based quantum computing firm Xanadu, visited the White House on Tuesday to attend the US governmentâs quantum summit.
The news: Weedbrook shared the news in an X post. He told BetaKit over email that the event brought together American quantum CEOs and senior US government officials working on related policy. The group discussed the USâ new 2028 goal, bolstering supply chains, expanding the workforce, and unresolved technical challenges. Weedbrook said the event focused on how the public and private sector can work together to advance quantum tech, and explored how companies can support US government research and development, like a key military-backed quantum research program in which Xanadu is participating.
From the source: Weedbrook described the US as âa critical hub,â noting Xanadu has worked with a wide range of US government agencies since its early days and has core manufacturing partners and dozens of employees there. While âXanadu is proudly Canadian ⊠we always think globally,â he said. The CEO also claimed Xanadu was the lone Canadian quantum computing firm in attendance, but could not speak to whether others were invited. BetaKit has reached out to the White House and fellow Canadian quantum computing champions Photonic and Nord Quantique (which are part of the same DARPA initiative as Xanadu) to confirm whether they were also asked.
Following the thread: Xanadu and other Canadian quantum firmsâincluding the formerly Canadian D-Waveâhave felt pressure to move to the US before, and Xanadu recently went public after having trouble raising the money it wanted from Canadian investors. While Weedbrook is happy with what the Government of Canadaâs rival quantum research program has brought to the table thus far, and has repeatedly said he intends to keep Xanadu Canadian under his leadership, recent US industry support, including plans to award $2 billion USD to leading firms in exchange for equity stakes, could up the ante once again.
Final thought: Building quantum computers is expensive, making cross-border, public-private collaboration in quantum especially important. Despite its Canadian loyalties, the US could be a key market for the company once it is finally ready to bring its tech to market.
Feature image courtesy Christian Weedbrook via X.